Comparison: So, that, was the case usage

[duyng9989]

Hi.

I have been studying GMAT for a while. Recently I have encounter some unfamiliar comparison structure. I would like to make a summary here and want to receive recommendation:

1. Comparison of THAT require "exact parallelism"

The air quality of Las Vegas in 1997 was higher than THAT in 2007=> Correct
The air quality of Las Vegas was higher in 1997 than THAT IN 2007 => Incorrect. (Not exactly parallel)

Correct answer:
The global economy has grown more than it did during the 10,000 years from the beginning of agriculture to 1950

I do not understand why THAT structure in this sentence is correct?

By the the year 2010 carbon emissions in the US will soar to a level more than one-third higher than THAT in 1990. (GMAT prep question)
It seems that the side with "THAT" does not have the same structure with the preceding clause which contains precedent. (That in 1990 => the precedent must have construction with "in ...")

2. The use of "was the case" in comparison:

Is it correct if I say:

Higher the air quality of Las Vegas in 2007 than WAS the case in 2007?

Similarly, is it correct to say:

1. By the year 2010, carbon emissions in the US will soar to a level more than one-third higher than was the case in 1990?
2. One third higher the level of carbon emissions in the US by the year 2010 than was the case in 1990?

3. The use of "So"

This is one of GMATprep question:

A study of couple’s retirement transitions found that women who took new jobs after retiring from their primary career reported higher martial satisfaction, more so than those who retired completely. (Correct)

=> Is it correct to say:

1. The air quality of Las Vegas was higher in 1997 than SO in 2007.
2. Las Vegas has higher air quality now, more so than in 2007?

3. By the year 2010, carbon emissions in the United States will soar to higher level, one-third higher than so in 1990

Thanks in millions :)

[jlucero]

Hi.

I have been studying GMAT for a while. Recently I have encounter some unfamiliar comparison structure. I would like to make a summary here and want to receive recommendation:

1. Comparison of THAT require "exact parallelism"

The air quality of Las Vegas in 1997 was higher than THAT in 2007=> Correct
The air quality of Las Vegas was higher in 1997 than THAT IN 2007 => Incorrect. (Not exactly parallel)

Correct answer:
The global economy has grown more than it did during the 10,000 years from the beginning of agriculture to 1950

I do not understand why THAT structure in this sentence is correct?

By the the year 2010 carbon emissions in the US will soar to a level more than one-third higher than THAT in 1990. (GMAT prep question)
It seems that the side with "THAT" does not have the same structure with the preceding clause which contains precedent. (That in 1990 => the precedent must have construction with "in ...")

First off, your first exception example is a bit off, let me state the full, correct answer:

Since 1990 the global economy has grown more than it did during the 10,000 years from the beginning of agriculture to 1950.

And the answer to both of these exceptions comes from a post Ron made in this post-
post14730.html?sid=510941fa5c212afa9a1d151681def211#p14730

Let me emphasize it again here:
if the logical parallelism is absolutely clear, then the gmat will tolerate slight anomalies from the ideal of exact grammatical parallelism.

In your first exception, we're not comparing two "since" structures. We are comparing a "since 1990" with a "during the first 10,000 years of agriculture". Therefore the GMAT tolerates a slight change in exact grammatical parallelism. Same in the second exception. We are comparing "by 2010" with "in 1990". If we tried to change "by 2010" to "in 2010", the meaning would change. So the GMAT allows for this difference as long as the meaning is crystal clear.

2. The use of "was the case" in comparison:

Is it correct if I say:

Higher the air quality of Las Vegas in 2007 than WAS the case in 2007?

Similarly, is it correct to say:

1. By the year 2010, carbon emissions in the US will soar to a level more than one-third higher than was the case in 1990?
2. One third higher the level of carbon emissions in the US by the year 2010 than was the case in 1990?

Not quite... these sentences are all making some grammatical errors, but let's talk about when "was the case" is correct:

The air quality of Las Vegas was higher in 2007 than it was in 2007.
Note that we are comparing two things here and the pronoun "it" has a very simple antecedent. If you want to use "was the case", you need to be comparing two clauses:

More than ten times as much energy is generated through wind power now as was the case in 1990.

Your other two examples are also comparing things (carbon emissions) and not processes, so they don't make sense using "was the case"

3. The use of "So"

This is one of GMATprep question:

A study of couple’s retirement transitions found that women who took new jobs after retiring from their primary career reported higher martial satisfaction, more so than those who retired completely. (Correct)

=> Is it correct to say:

1. The air quality of Las Vegas was higher in 1997 than SO in 2007.
2. Las Vegas has higher air quality now, more so than in 2007?

3. By the year 2010, carbon emissions in the United States will soar to higher level, one-third higher than so in 1990

Thanks in millions :)

The GMAT Prep example in your last question is really testing the phrase "more so", and not so. Here's the reason when to use more so:

More so strictly means that to a greater degree, and so recalls an adjective or adverb used earlier. For example, in the sentence, "Gina is studious, and Eleanor is more so," so recalls the adjective studious, and so is a crucial element of the sentence while more is not. We could change more to less or equally, for instance, and the sentence would still make sense. So because more and so function separately, changing more so to moreso in cases like this is difficult to justify.

For this reason, you wouldn't want to use more so in any of the examples you gave. You could modify the second example to this:

Las Vegas has high air quality now, more so than in 2007.

Notice this is correct b/c the first part is now a stand-alone clause, while more so refers to the adjective "high air quality".

[duyng9989]

Thank you very much for your explanation.

In short, let me try to make a brief summary:

1. Gmat sometimes tolerate the not-perfect parallel structure.
2. "Was the case" is used to replace a clause only.
3. "more so, equal so, less so" => "so" stand for an adj, adv from similar structure

[jlucero]

Thank you very much for your explanation.

In short, let me try to make a brief summary:

1. Gmat sometimes tolerate the not-perfect parallel structure.
2. "Was the case" is used to replace a clause only.
3. "more so, equal so, less so" => "so" stand for an adj, adv from similar structure

1. yes, as long as there is clear, unambiguous meaning.
2. yes
3. yes, except "equal so" is not idiomatic. We say more than or less than. But we say equal to. So equal so wouldn't be used.

[duyng9989]

Thank you very much for your explanation.

In short, let me try to make a brief summary:

1. Gmat sometimes tolerate the not-perfect parallel structure.
2. "Was the case" is used to replace a clause only.
3. "more so, equal so, less so" => "so" stand for an adj, adv from similar structure

1. yes, as long as there is clear, unambiguous meaning.
2. yes
3. yes, except "equal so" is not idiomatic. We say more than or less than. But we say equal to. So equal so wouldn't be used.

Sorry:

I have to turn back this problem one again when I see this sentence:

Q103 OG12:

Yeallow Jackets number among the 900 or SO species of the world's social wasps.

What does the role of "So" in the sentence. I don't understand what it stand for?

Thank you

[jlucero]

Sorry:

I have to turn back this problem one again when I see this sentence:

Q103 OG12:

Yeallow Jackets number among the 900 or SO species of the world's social wasps.

What does the role of "So" in the sentence. I don't understand what it stand for?

Thank you

A completely different usage of "so" that's purely idiomatic and weird if you overthink it. "or so" is just an expression that means about.

There are 900 (or so) species of wasps.
There are (about) 900 species of wasps.